Combination outrigger and front leg extension



Nov. 10, 1964 E. A. BENDER 3,156,328

COMBINATION OUTRIGGER AND FRONT LEG EXTENSION Filed Feb. 25, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 La INVENTOR izz'ld ienderj ATTORNEY5 E. A. BENDER Nov. 10, 1964 COMBINATION OUTRIGGER AND FRONT LEG EXTENSION 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 25. 1960 II I I Il/ll Vl/l n r u INVENTOR Zrrz 2:24.3922d9;

vATTORNEYJ Nov. 10, 1964 E. A. BENDER 3,155,323

' COMBINATION OUTRIGGER AND FRONT LEG EXTENSION Filed Feb. 25. 1960 s Sheets-Sheet s 7. I l w I IJX ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,156,323 COMBINATION OUTRIGGER AND FRONT LEG EXTENSION Emil A. Bender, PA). Box 52, Bakersfield, Calif. Filed Feb. 25, 1960, Ser. No. 11,027 '13 Claims. (Cl. 189-11) The present invention relates generally to an oil well derrick. More particularly, this invention relates to a derrick of the portable type which is adapted to be mounted upon a vehicle and which may be moved as a selfcontained unit from one installation to another for the drilling or servicing of wells.

The modern trend in the derrick art is in the direction of portable derricks in order to avoid the necessity of leaving an expensive derrick structure as a permanent part of each well after completion of the drilling operation. Important progress has been made in the develop ment of self-erecting derricks as these have been found more acceptable than sectional derricks requiring external means for assembling them. In view of the cost of labor involved in erecting and dismantling a derrick of the size necessary to adequately service or drill the usual well, it is highly important that a modern derrick be truly portable and convertible easily from transport condition to operating position with a minimum of labor and in the shortest possible time.

The derrick itself is such as extremely heavy structure that an important limiting factor in its design is the maximum allowable load limit permitted for highway vehicles. It is therefore impractical to design the vehicle to support loads greatly in excess of the derrick and its auxiliary apparatus. Similar considerations govern the maximum overall dimensions permissible for ordinary highway travel.

The derrick in turn, must support large working loads. The structure must be designed to lift many thousands of feet of pipe out of the ground while overcoming the friction of the pipe with the surrounding earth. Hence, provision must be made to transfer a major portion of the support for the working or operating load, outside of the vehicle structure.

It is accordingly, an important object of the present invention to provide an improved derrick of the type described which will be truly portable and yet of adequate size to withstand the stresses and loads to which it must be put in normal use.

A further object of the invention is to provide a portable derrick of the type described which may be elevated into an operating position extending slightly beyond the vertical. Thereby, the crown block, which through the hoist lines, supports the traveling block above the well head, will be located in an advantageous position. The ground surrounding the well head is not cluttered with supporting structure to interfere with the drilling or servicing operation. Moreover, it is possible for the vehicle to be driven to a point immediately adjacent the well head, followed by immediate erection of the derrick structure.

An additional object of the invention is to provide movable brace elements which may be swung outwardly and forwardly with respect to the derrick for the purpose of transferring a substantial portion of the over-center loads on the derrick during normal operation, from the vehicle structure to a more remote portion of the ground surface.

The foregoing as well as numerous additional objects and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent to one skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed specification taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures of drawing in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view, to a vastly reduced scale, illustrating a portion of an improved portable derrick in accordance with the present invention wherein the mast of a derrick is mounted upon the rear portion of a vehicle;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the derrick of FIGURE 1 taken from the rear of the vehicle but showing the front or working face of the derrick in normal operating position;

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4- is an enlarged view of portions of the apparatus indicated by the arrows marked A and B in FIGURE Q;

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4, being an enlargement of the. portion indicated by the arrow C in FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevational view, again on a reduced scale, illustrating a partial assembly view of a modified type of portable derrick in accordance with the present invention;

FIGURE 7 is a front elevational view of the derrick of FIGURE 6, again-taken from the rear of the vehicle and showing the front or working face of the derrick in normal operating position;

FIGURE 8 is a detail of FIGURE 7 showing the connection of the upper portion of the outrigger brace with the remaining structure; and

FIGURE 9 is a plan view corresponding to FIGURE 8.

Referring now in somewhat greater detail to the various figures of the drawings, and in particular to FIGURES 1 and 2 thereof, a preferred modification of the portable derrick in accordance with the present invention is shown as being mounted upon a conventional vehicle designated generally by reference numeral 20 and having the usual frame 22 and rear wheels 24. The vehicle frame 22 also carries a conventional drawworks 26 which is rigidly attached thereto in any convenient manner, intermediate the ends of the vehicle. It will be understood that the drawworks 25 embodies the customary power source including drums, cables and controls necessary for conventional drawworks operation. 1

In the particular embodiment shown in FIGURES l and 2, the mast 28 is of generally triangular cross section having a pair of front legs 30 and a single rear leg 32, interconnected by suitable girts and braces 34. As dis 7 closed in my companion application Serial No. 820,330,

filed June 15, 1959, each of the legs 30-32 is preferably of hollow tubular construction;

The mast 28 is pivotally connected to a pair of main hinge supports provided at opposite sides of the vehicle frame 22 and adjacent the rear thereof. Each of the main hinge supports includes two members 36 and 38 which are pivotally connected at their outer ends as indicated by reference numeral and pivotally connected at their inner ends to spaced points 42 and 44 on the vehicle body. It will be noted that the pivots 42 at the lower ends of the members 36 are slightly offset in order to afford additional space for working around a well whereas the pivots 44 are fixed in suitable pedestal structures indicated by the beams 46 rigidly attached to the vehicle body 22.

Although not specifically shown in this application, as indicated in my companion application, the members 38 forming part of the main hinge supports are capable of limited extensibility each comprising a pair of telescopically arranged sections sliding one within the other and including limit stops to limit the maximum extension of the members. The mast 28 is pivotally connected to the hinge supports by means of main hinges 48 provided at the lower ends of each of the front legs 30. From the construction thus far described, it will be apparent that each of the members 3638 may pivot about the points 42-44 as the member 38 contracts in length so that the hinge supports as a whole pivot about the vehicle body 22 in such manner as to raise or elevate the main hinges 48 above the latter.

The mast 28 is elevated into normal operating position through the employment of the so-called lever lift principle in which a lifting leg in slidable contact with the mast causes the latter to pivot about its main hinge and, when the mast is fully elevated, the lifting leg is securely attached to the mast so as to become a rigid part of the mast support. In the present case, the lifting leg is designated by reference numeral 50 and, since the mast 28 includes only a single rear leg 32, the lifting leg is also in the form of a single A-frame 50 pivotally connected at 52 to a fixed cross bar 54 secured to the support beams 46. At its outer end the lifting leg or A- frame 50 carries a roller 56 adapted to slidably engage the rear mast leg 32. This construction is such as to permit the roller 56 to slide along the rear mast leg 32 without substantial friction while at the same time, the roller may be prevented from sidewise movement. A latch 60 is also provided so as to positively lock the lifting leg 50 to the mast 28 when the latter is in fully elevated position as shown in FIGURES l and 2. This latch may be of any type well known in the art and is, therefore, not described herein in detail and it will be understood that, in accordance with the usual practice, the latch operates automatically to engage the rear leg 32 of the mast 28 when the latter reaches its elevated operating position and may be manually disengaged therefrom prior to commencing a mast lowering operation.

As mentioned above, and as will be clearly appreciated by those skilled in the art, the showing of the parts thus far described is, of necessity, largely schematic in view of the tremendously reduced scale required. For this reason, only so much of the detail as is deemed necessary to an understanding of the invention has been thus far set forth.

Under operating conditions, the working loads upon the rear leg 32 of the mast are transmitted largely through the lifting leg 50 and the braces 46 to the vehicle body 22 and suitable jacks 62 are employed to transmit these loads to the ground. However, the working loads upon the front legs 30 of the mast 28 are not transmitted to the vehicle body but, instead, are carried through the hinges 48 to a pair of braces designated generally by reference numeral 64.

As shown in FIGURE 4, a pair of lugs 66 are formed upon the lower end of each of the front legs 30. A corresponding lug 68 is formed upon each of the hinge supports 36. When these two are brought into juxtaposition, the lugs are separated by spacer plates 70. A plug or solid hinge pin 72 extends through eye-holes in lugs 66 and 68 to constitute the main hinge 48.

The plug ends of the plug pins 72 are inserted in the opposite ends of a transverse tube 74 extending between the two main hinges 48. The plug pins 72 are held in place by locking pins 76, extending outward through a pair of windows 78 formed in the outer portions of transverse tube 74. This arrangement permits limited rotation of the plug pins 72 about their axes for a purpose to be later explained.

The outer end of each plug pin 72 is formed as an eye lug 80. These are connected to the clevises 82 on braces 64 by means of pins 83.

The lower ends of the braces 64 are provided with foot plates 84 resting on jacks 86 which in turn rest upon the pads 88 on the ground.

The braces 64 are connected to the vehicle frame 22 by means of rear horizontal braces 90 through lug and pin arrangements 92 on the vehicle and 94 on the braces.

A pair of side horizontal braces are formed of telescopic parts 96 and 98, connected by lugs and pins 100 to the vehicle and similar lugs and pins 102 upon the braces 64. The length of the telescopic parts 96 and 98 is adjusted by means of pins 104 fitting in holes 106.

It will thus be seen that the weight on the front legs 30 of the derrick may be transferred outwardly and forwardly from the hinge joints 48 to the pads 88. It will be noted that this arrangement provides a generous amount of free working space about the well head 108 as well as unobstructed access at the front thereof. The arrangement of the plug pins 72 for partial rotation in the transverse tube 74 permits the braces to be swung to any desired position. When the rig is to be taken down, the brace sections 96 and 98 may be disconnected from braces 64 and telescoped for positioning along the side of the vehicle body 22. Similarly, the horizontal braces 90 may be disconnected and folded one on the other against the rear of vehicle 22. The braces 64 are allowed to fall alongside the hinge supports 36.

In the modification shown in FIGURES 6 to 9 inclusive, a mast 28 of rectangular section is provided with a pair of front legs 30 and a pair of rear legs 32. The lifting legs 50 move along track 33 to raise the mast 28 about the hinge joints 48. In this modification the hinge supports 36 are integrated with the frame of the vehicle, as by welding, with suitable brace elements.

The transverse framing element 74 is welded directly to the hinge supports 36, to carry the fixed elements of hinge 48. Extending outwardly from each corner construction below the hinge joint 48 is a load bearing plate 110 welded to hinge support 36 and reenforced with a pair of gusset plates 112. A bolt 114, secured to the upper end of each outrigger brace 164 passes through an opening in the load plate 110 and is held against displacement by a suitable nut. However, the outrigger braces are free to be swung above axes corresponding to the axes of the bolts 114.

The outrigger braces 164 are connected by welding through fittings 116 to the horizontally extending braces 190. The fittings 116 transfer operating loads from the front legs 30 through hinge joints 48 and outrigger braces 164 to the jacks 86 resting upon the ground. The inner ends of the horizontal braces 190 terminate in box bearings 118 which are connected by means of pins 120 to pairs of clevis plates 182 welded to the frame 22 of the transporting vehicle.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the two braces 164 and joined together through the fittings 116 may swing about vertical axes passing through bolts 114 and pins 120. When extended, braces 164 carry the loads of the front legs 30 forwardly of the legs 30 in the direction of the well head 108. In this manner, they take a substantial amount of the working loads placed upon the derrick, away from the transport vehicle, while improving the weight distribution to resist overturning moments. Also, to the extent that they are swung sidewardly, they provide sidewise bracing. As in the modification of FIG- URES 1 to 5, this method of bracing is advantageous because it provides free access to the well head. During transportation, the two braces may be folded towardseach other across the back of the vehicle 20, being secured against movement in any suitable manner.

It will be apparent that numerous other modifications, alterations and deviations from the specific structures which have been shown and described herein solely for the purpose of illustration of two preferred embodiments, will occur to one skilled in the art and without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

This application is a continuation-in-part of Serial No. 502,105, filed April 18, 1955, now Patent No. 2,993,- 570, issued July 25, 1961, and Serial No. 820,330, filed June 15, 1959.

I claim:

1. In a portable, vehicle-mounted derrick structure wherein the derrick mast is hinged to a mast support adjacent an end of said vehicle for swinging movement between a generally horizontal, transport position extending over the vehicle and an operative position wherein the mast extends beyond the vertical with the peak of the mast alocated vertically above the free space outwardly of the vehicle beyond the hinge mounting of the mast, an outrigger brace for transferring support of the mast from the vehicle, downwardly through the hinge joint, including a ground support member located away from the vehicle in the direction of mast overhang, a compression member pivotally connected to the mast support structure adjacent and below the hinge joint at one end and connected at its opposite end with said ground support member and a tension member connected to the ground support member at one end and, at its opposite end, pivotally connected with another portion of the mast support structure at a point below said hinge joint and below that at which said compression member is connected, said compression and tension members being connected at the ends thereof, remote from their points of connection with said mast support structure.

2. In a portable vehicle-mounted derrick structure wherein the derrick mast is hinged to a mast support adjacent an end of said vehicle, for swinging movement between a generally horizontal, inoperative position extending over the vehicle and an operative position wherein the mast extends beyond the vertical with the peak of the mast located vertically above the free space beyond the hinge mounting of the mast, means for transferring support of the mast from the vehicle, downwardly through the hinge joint, including a ground support member located away from the vehicle in the direction of mast overhang, a compression member connecting the mast support structure adjacent and not above the hinge joint with said ground support member and a tension member connecting the ground support member with another portion of the mast support structure at a point more remote from said hinge joint than that at which said compression member is connected, said compression and tension members being connected at the ends thereof, remote from their points of connection with said mast support structure.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein both the compression member and the tension member are pivotally connected to the mast support structure.

4. The combination of claim 2, including a pivotal connection for the tension member with the mast support structure for movement in a substantially horizontal plane.

5. In the combination of claim 2, a horizontal shaft extending outwardly from the mast support structure, coaxially with the hinge joint, pin and slot means supporting said shaft for limited rotation about its axis, said last mentioned means securing said shaft against axial movement, a pivotal connection on the outer end of said shaft for the compression member, said pivotal connecting constituting the connection between the mast support structure and the compression member, pivotal means as the connections between the tension member and the compression member and between the tension member and the mast support structure, a second tension member including a first telescopic member pivotally connected at one end to the vehicle at a point remote from the mast support structure and including a second, cooperating telescopic member at the other end of the compression member adjacent the ground support member and means for adjustably fixing the length of said second tension member, said first and second tension members being located in substantially the same horizontal plane.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein both tension members are arranged in a single, generally horizontal plane.

7. In the combination of claim 2, a horizontal shaft extending outwardly from the mast support structure, coaxially with the hinge joint, means supporting said shaft for limited rotation about its axis, said last mentioned means securing said shaft against axial movement, a pivotal connection on the outer end of said shaft for the compression member, said pivotal connection constituting the connection between the mast support structure and the compression member, pivotal means as the connections between the tension member and the compression member and between the tension member and the mast support structure, a second tension member including a second, cooperating telescopic member pivotall connected at one end to the vehicle at a point remote from the mast support structure and including a second, cooperating telescopic member at the other end to the compression member adjacent the ground support member and means for adjustably fixing the length of said second tension member.

8. In the combination of claim 2, a horizontal shaft extending outwardly from the mast support structure, adjacent the hinge joint, means supporting said shaft for limited rotation about its axis, means securing said shaft against axial movement, a pivotal connection on the outer end of said shaft for the compression member, said pivotal connection constituting the connection between the mast support structure and the compression member, pivotal means as the connections between the tension member and the compression member and between the tension member and the mast support structure, a second tension member pivotally connected at one end to the vehicle at a point remote from the mast support structure and at the other end to the compression member adjacent the ground support member and means for adjustably fixing the length of said second tension member.

9. In the combination of claim 8 wherein the pivotal connections between the compression member and the two respective tension members are separable, means for securing the separated ends of the three respective members adjacent the vehicle and derrick support structure in inoperative position.

10. The combination of claim 2 wherein both the compression member and the tension member are pivotally connected to the mast support for movement about a common vertical axis.

11. The combination of claim 2 including a horizontally extending member outward of said mast support structure and adjacent said hinge joint, and a pivotal connection in said horizontal member for pivotally connecting said compression member with said mast support structure for movement in a generally vertical plane.

12. The combination of claim 11 including a pivotal connection for one of the tension members with the mast support structure for movement in a substantially horizontal plane.

13. In a portable vehicle-mounted derrick structure having at least three legs, wherein, while in operative position, the mast extends beyond the vertical with the peak of the mast located vertically above the free space outside the perimeter of the vehicle, means for transferring a substantial part of the support of said mast outwardly of the area within the perimeter enclosing the bases of the 7 a L) legs of the mast, including a ground support member their points of connection with said mast support struclocated away from the vehicle in the direction of mast ture. overhang, a compression member connected to the mast References Cited in the file of this patent support structure at a point below the middle of the mast, UNITED STATES PATENTS in extended, operative position and with said ground sup- 5 524 476 A A 14 1894 port member and a tension member connecting the ground ustln 1 i 701,975 Weaver June 10, 1902 support member With another portion of the mast support b 1 h h 1,743,123 Elwood Jan. 14, 1930 structure at a point e ovv t at at W lC sal compression 2,660,268 Selberg Nov 24, 1953 member 18 connected, said compression and tension mem- 10 2,750,204 Ohrmann June 12, 1956 b rs being connected at the ends thereof, remote from 2,808,911 McLerran 8 1957 

1. IN A PORTABLE, VEHICLE-MOUNTED DERRICK STRUCTURE WHEREIN THE DERRICK MAST IS HINGED TO A MAST SUPPORT ADJACENT AN END OF SAID VEHICLE FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT BETWEEN A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL, TRANSPORT POSITION EXTENDING OVER THE VEHICLE AND AN OPERATIVE POSITION WHEREIN THE MAST EXTENDS BEYOND THE VERTICAL WITH THE PEAK OF THE MAST LOCATED VERTICALLY ABOVE THE FREE SPACE OUTWARDLY OF THE VEHICLE BEYOND THE HINGE MOUNTING OF THE MAST, AN OUTRIGGER BRACE FOR TRANSFERRING SUPPORT OF THE MAST FROM THE VEHICLE, DOWNWARDLY THROUGH THE HINGE JOINT, INCLUDING A GROUND SUPPORT MEMBER LOCATED AWAY FROM THE VEHICLE IN THE DIRECTION OF MAST OVERHANG, A COMPRESSION MEMBER PIVOTALLY CONNECTED TO THE MAST SUPPORT STRUCTURE ADJACENT AND BELOW THE HINGE JOINT AT ONE END AND CONNECTED AT ITS OPPOSITE END WITH SAID GROUND SUPPORT MEMBER AND A TENSION MEMBER CONNECTED TO THE GROUND SUPPORT MEMBER AT ONE END AND, AT ITS OPPOSITE END, PIVOTALLY CONNECTED WITH ANOTHER PORTION OF THE MAST SUPPPORT STRUCTURE AT A POINT BELOW SAID HINGE JOINT AND BELOW THAT AT WHICH SAID 